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[PaladinLight]

Paladin skidded to a halt, and turned to look at Law.  "What?"

"Calm down, Paladin. If Deuce wanted to run, he wouldn't have gone into a building filled with police ponies, leave us a trail to follow, or send Rice Bowl out."

"He's waiting for us." he said as he walked through the club's doors.

Paladin just shook his head and followed along.  'Alright, but if he escapes out the back when nopony's looking, it sure isn't my fault...'

"Why would he be waiting for us?"

"He listened to us the entire time. He knows what's on the tape. If Deuce is going down, he'll give us one last surprise before he's taken away."

"And if he isn't going down?"

"Then Deuces would say 'You'll never take me alive, coppers!' "

"Well, at least you're keeping a light tone through all of this."

That got a smile out of Paladin, but he remained quiet while waiting to see what surprise Deuces had in store.

[Zaal]

"L.G., you and Drip check out what's on that tape.  Broken, you go scope out the back door.  If Deuces went inside, he's either gonna hide there... or go for the keys in his dad's office and sneak out the back.  I'm gonna go look for him.  Captain... I can't tell you what to do, but maybe I can respectfully suggest you and your men helping with the search.  Posting at least two ponies by all the doors would probably be a good idea."

"Alrighty then, L.G., wanna lead the way?"

"Uh...okay, I gu-"

Razorback was abou to argue when-

"What?"

"Calm down, Paladin. If Deuce wanted to run, he wouldn't have gone into a building filled with police ponies, leave us a trail to follow, or send Rice Bowl out. He's waiting for us."

"Why would he be waiting for us?"

"He listened to us the entire time. He knows what's on the tape. If Deuce is going down, he'll give us one last surprise before he's taken away."

"And if he isn't going down?"

"Then Deuces would say 'You'll never take me alive, coppers!' "

"Well, at least you're keeping a light tone through all of this."

As the entire group enters, they see Pantaka at his booth again. There was no music playing and several ponies, customer and employee alike, stood by confused about the whole situation. Deuces himself was behind the DJ Booth, nodding his head to some imaginary music.

"I've had enough of your antics, Wylde." shouted Razorback. "The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!""

Looking up at the others, he picks up and speaks into a microphone in the booth.

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt." His voice resonates clearly throughout the entire club.

[PaladinLight]

As the entire group enters, they see Pantaka at his booth again. There was no music playing and several ponies, customer and employee alike, stood by confused about the whole situation. Deuces himself was behind the DJ Booth, nodding his head to some imaginary music.

"I've had enough of your antics, Wylde." shouted Razorback. "The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!""

Looking up at the others, he picks up and speaks into a microphone in the booth.

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt." His voice resonates clearly throughout the entire club.

Looking up at Deuces, Paladin waits to hear what he had to say.  In the meantime, he leaned over to Rice Bowl.

"...Out of curiosity, what was that 'one thing' he did to fix the DJ booth?"

[DoodleGhost]

"The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!""

'Please, I still do those things.'

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt." His voice resonates clearly throughout the entire club.

"Aw man he didn't say the line," Drip Drop sadly muttered, lowering her hat. But she did let out a chuckle at the name calling. "Deuces, I don't think this is the time for name calling." Drip Drop said with a still amused smile.

[SilentSage]

When they entered, the group made their way past the bouncer and into the main room. While some customers and employees were around, Common spotted Deuce behind the DJ booth, bobbing his head to some imaginary tune.

"I've had enough of your antics, Wylde. The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!"

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt."

'Eeyup... if he's going down, he's going to be the center of attention while it happens.'

"...Out of curiosity, what was that 'one thing' he did to fix the DJ booth?"

'Knowing Deuce, he probably just wacked it until it worked again...'

"Deuces, I don't think this is the time for name calling."

"He'll do it anyway." he said to her before calling out the Wylde Stallion.

"Alright, Deuce. We're all here and ready to hear you out. Now, what's on the tape?"

[Zaal]

...Out of curiosity, what was that 'one thing' he did to fix the DJ booth?"

"He applied percussive maintenance... You know, smacked it?"

"Deuces, I don't think this is the time for name calling."

"He'll do it anyway. Alright, Deuce. We're all here and ready to hear you out. Now, what's on the tape?"

"Is that all you really want to know?"

[PaladinLight]

"Is that all you really want to know?"

"I suppose we would also like to know what the hay you're doing this for, and what you seem to want to tell us!"

[SilentSage]

"Is that all you really want to know?"

"I suppose we would also like to know what the hay you're doing this for, and what you seem to want to tell us!"

"That, and why you had it out there with you."

[Jake O'Jack]

Razorback was abou to argue when-

As the entire group enters, they see Pantaka at his booth again. There was no music playing and several ponies, customer and employee alike, stood by confused about the whole situation. Deuces himself was behind the DJ Booth, nodding his head to some imaginary music.

"I've had enough of your antics, Wylde." shouted Razorback. "The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!""

Looking up at the others, he picks up and speaks into a microphone in the booth.

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt." His voice resonates clearly throughout the entire club.

"Duo!" L.G. shouted, happy to see that her friend was okay... relatively speaking. She sighed with relief.

"Is that all you really want to know?"

"I'd like to know what all of this has to do with what happened tonight," she answered. "It's like everything we've been doing has been burying us deeper in lies this whole time."

[Zaal]

"I suppose we would also like to know what the hay you're doing this for, and what you seem to want to tell us!"

"That, and why you had it out there with you."

"I'd like to know what all of this has to do with what happened tonight. It's like everything we've been doing has been burying us deeper in lies this whole time."

"You're right, Looking Glass. And... I'm sorry. I never expected things to turn out like this. If I did, I wouldn't have wanted you to be involved. I came here tonight for one purpose: offer my old friend Gigawatt a chance to keep the only thing he really cared about. I was a bit disappointed when he rejected my offer... but I'd hoped that he would. It meant being able to bring him down guilt-free. The contents of that tape hold the truth to my actions, Forget-me-not's actions... everything."

"You were going to blackmail him?" asked Razorback.

"It was for a good cause..."

"GOOD FOR YOU, MAYBE!"

"Guys, there's only one road to something close to a happy ending here. What's on that tape won't guarantee my freedom, but I think it will guarantee justice... closure... and freedom for the one I broke all my rules for."

Forget-me-not's eyes widen.

"Y-y-y-you mean... When d-d-d-did -"

"What are you talking about, son?" Bottom Line questioned.

“Think about this: he's probably using this as some sick form of entertainment. If we give him that tape, you could end up ruining somepony's life. Is it worth it for... THAT?” The police captain jabbed his thumb at Wylde.

[Featherpen]

As the entire group enters, they see Pantaka at his booth again. There was no music playing and several ponies, customer and employee alike, stood by confused about the whole situation. Deuces himself was behind the DJ Booth, nodding his head to some imaginary music.

"I've had enough of your antics, Wylde." shouted Razorback. "The attack on the pegasus, the sarcasm, the lying... It all ends here!""

Looking up at the others, he picks up and speaks into a microphone in the booth.

"I couldn't agree more, Razorbutt." His voice resonates clearly throughout the entire club.

"Oh, for the love of Celestia..."

"Aw man he didn't say the line," Drip Drop sadly muttered, lowering her hat. But she did let out a chuckle at the name calling. "Deuces, I don't think this is the time for name calling." Drip Drop said with a still amused smile.

"He'll do it anyway." he said to her before calling out the Wylde Stallion.

"Alright, Deuce. We're all here and ready to hear you out. Now, what's on the tape?"

"Is that all you really want to know?"

"Could he at least turn down the gain on that microphone? A little bit?"

"I suppose we would also like to know what the hay you're doing this for, and what you seem to want to tell us!"

"That, and why you had it out there with you."

"I'd like to know what all of this has to do with what happened tonight," she answered. "It's like everything we've been doing has been burying us deeper in lies this whole time."

"...I've got nothing to add."

"You're right, Looking Glass. And... I'm sorry. I never expected things to turn out like this. If I did, I wouldn't have wanted you to be involved. I came here tonight for one purpose: offer my old friend Gigawatt a chance to keep the only thing he really cared about. I was a bit disappointed when he rejected my offer... but I'd hoped that he would. It meant being able to bring him down guilt-free. The contents of that tape hold the truth to my actions, Forget-me-not's actions... everything."

"You were going to blackmail him?" asked Razorback.

"It was for a good cause..."

"GOOD FOR YOU, MAYBE!"

"Guys, there's only one road to something close to a happy ending here. What's on that tape won't guarantee my freedom, but I think it will guarantee justice... closure... and freedom for the one I broke all my rules for."

Forget-me-not's eyes widen.

"Y-y-y-you mean... When d-d-d-did -"

"What are you talking about, son?" Bottom Line questioned.

“Think about this: he's probably using this as some sick form of entertainment. If we give him that tape, you could end up ruining somepony's life. Is it worth it for... THAT?” The police captain jabbed his thumb at Wylde.

Gear promptly snorted air out of his nostrils, but didn't say anything. That police captain was starting to get onto his last nerve.

[Jake O'Jack]

“Think about this: he's probably using this as some sick form of entertainment. If we give him that tape, you could end up ruining somepony's life. Is it worth it for... THAT?” The police captain jabbed his thumb at Wylde.

"Oh, suddenly you care about how other ponies feel?" L.G. snapped. She walked closer to the captain, suddenly gaining a new respect for just how large he was. "I've had enough of your bunk, Columbo. He might be a gambler, he might be a bit of a jerk, and he might think he's cooler then he actually is, but the one thing he isn't is bad. He has more character in his little body than you do in one of your long and extremely buff trapezius muscles... So shut your big dumb mouth and trust him just this once!" Her rant over, she suddenly realized that she had just taken a tone with a minotaur.  She took a deep breath, still looking unafraid even while quaking on the inside. "Please don't tear me in half..." she whispered to herself.

She turned to Drip Drop. "Drippy," she said. "Listen to me. I know you still have that tape, and you need to give it to Duo to play. Just... do the right thing. If you don't trust him, then at least trust me. Please."

[Featherpen]

"Oh, suddenly you care about how other ponies feel?" L.G. snapped. She walked closer to the captain, suddenly gaining a new respect for just how large he was. "I've had enough of your bunk, Columbo. He might be a gambler, he might be a bit of a jerk, and he might think he's cooler then he actually is, but the one thing he isn't is bad. He has more character in his little body than you do in one of your long and extremely buff trapezius muscles... So shut your big dumb mouth and trust him just this once!" Her rant over, she suddenly realized that she had just taken a tone with a minotaur.  She took a deep breath, still looking unafraid even while quaking on the inside. "Please don't tear me in half..." she whispered to herself.

Gear leaned to Looking Glass. "Thank you for that."

She turned to Drip Drop. "Drippy," she said. "Listen to me. I know you still have that tape, and you need to give it to Duo to play. Just... do the right thing. If you don't trust him, then at least trust me. Please."

"She's right, Drip. Give Deuces the tape. It may be our best bet to figuring out who's guilty and who's innocent."

[SilentSage]

"The tape contains the truth. Even if we may not like what it contains... we must hear it."

[4wheel]

((I've said it before, I'll say it again.  If there's "Mary had a little Lamb" somewhere on the tape, I'll die laughing.))